When we think of traditional clothing we immediately narrow down our thought towards the most common known names of traditional wear that is popular in the many cultures. One in particular is the kimono, Japanese most famous women’s wear, or perhaps India, for its tradition in wearing the Saree.
Just a month ago I also had my share of wearing my cultural traditional costume. It is called the Kebaya. Not many people know what outfit this is and where it’s from, especially when you’re on the streets of Los Angeles. If you’re walking in LA in a Kebaya, you’re bound to have people stare at you and gain their curiosity. This is the very reason why I got my interest to speak of the Kebaya, as it is a part of a revolving fashion that is worn throughout the years by women in South east Asia which includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Burma and Southern Thailand.
The Kebaya is a traditional blouse that is meant to suit for the individual's body size and shape. It is worn to accentuate the woman’s curves, softness and beauty. The top blouse is made out of cotton, silk and is commonly worn in see through. The colors that are worn are usually vibrant and filled with embroidery in decorative designs of flowers such as the hibiscus, peacocks and many other creative floral designs. To complete the blouse, most women would wear it with a brooch that suits their style. The beauty of Kebaya also comes with its long silky skirt, which is known as the Sarung (sarong). The sarong is commonly made by silk, or batik cloth. Some sarong includes the designs of embroidery on the bottom lining of its skirt; some are left just the way it is.
There are multiple kinds of looks for the Kebaya’s, from each different country. The Short Kebaya, Long Kebaya, Kebaya Nyonya are the very few from the many variety listed for this traditional wear.
Short Kebaya- the blouse ends on
the thigh.
Long Kebaya- mostly worn for weddings.
Modern day Nyonya Kebaya.
usually embroidered only on the
edges of its blouse.
Traditional Nyonya Kebaya
Women mostly wear the Kebaya for national functions, traditional weddings and some even wear it to work. Although Kebaya is kept as a traditional dress, it has managed to revolutionize itself to fit with the frequent change in trends.
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